The Self
Grooming Cat |
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Grooming Care
Cats naturally keep their coats neat and clean through regular and fastidious self-grooming. As your kitten matures,
you will notice that she self-grooms more frequently, using her rough tongue and forepaws to systematically wash and
clean her entire body. The licking that is associated with grooming also stimulates skin secretions that keep your
cat’s coat waterproof and shiny. During hot weather, saliva deposited on the coat during grooming has the added benefit
of helping to keep cats cool. If you have more than one cat, it is quite common for cats to groom each other while
resting in their favorite sleeping spots (this is called “allo-grooming”).
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| Did You Know? |
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Hairballs are a Natural Result of Self-Grooming |
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Cats who groom excessively, are shedding, or frequently groom other cats may
have occasional difficulty passing hairballs. Coughing, gagging, or
regurgitating within two hours of consuming a meal are signs that indicate
that your cat is having trouble passing a hairball. Administering a
preventive gel that lubricates the ingested hair and aids its passage
through the gastrointestinal tract is usually beneficial. |
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